Improvement in ditching-machines



D. HESS.

DITCHING MACHINE.

No.186,006. Patented Jan.9,1877.

' momma N.PEIERS. PHOT6-LITHDGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

DANIEL HESS, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

IMPROVEMENT IN DlTCHlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,006, dated January9, 1877; application filed June 24, 1876.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL HESS, of Greenville, in the county ofWashington and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and ImprovedDitcher and Excavator; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is an improvement in the class of ditchers having anendless belt or apron, by which the earth is elevated and deposited upona cross-belt or carrier.

The improvement relates particularly to the construction and arrangementof devices for causing the machine to advance; to the form of thecutters, and mode of attaching them to the elevator belt or apron, ashereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 isan edge view of a fragment of the elevator or traveling apron.

The wheeled vehicle carries a boiler, 13, and a propelling-engine, fromwhich latter motion is communicated to the shaft 0. A belt or chain, D,runs from a pulley on said shaft to the shaft E, which drives the entireditching and elevating apparatus.

The earth cutting and elevating device consists of an endless apron orbelt, F, bars H, and knives or cutters G. The latter are straight intheir middle portion and curved at the ends, which are bent inward andinserted in the links of the chains that extend along the edge of theapron or belt F and around the chain-pulleys on shaft E, and around aroller, I, having its bearings at the lower end of the adjustable frameK. The bars H are attached to the chains in substantially the samemanner, their ends being inserted in the links.

In practice the chains will be arranged along the edges of the apron ordirectly beneath the same, and attached thereto in any suitable manner.

Rollers L are located in the frame K intermediate of the shaft E andchain-roller I to support the apron F and its superincumbent load. Theframe K is pivoted upon the shaft 0 and adapted to be verticallyadjusted in guides M for the purpose of cutting deep or shallow. Theadjustment is effected by means of cords d and a horizontal Windlass, e,and the adjustment may be made. while the ditcher is in operation.

The knives G cut away the earth as the machine ad vances, and thecross-bars H, attached to the apron, assist in taking up and holding theearth upon the apron F tillitis discharged from the upper end thereofupon the crosscarrier N, as will be readily understood without detaileddescription.

The carrier is an endless belt or apron arranged to pass around drums orpulleys f, located at each end of the frame 0, and operated by the beltP from the shaft E. The carrier may be adjusted at its outer end todischarge the earth into a wagon or cart, but ordinarily it will befixed in a horizontal position.

The mechanism for causing the machine to advance steadily, for thepurpose of ditching and excavating, consists of three eccentrics, Q,which are fast on the end of shaft E, and three pawls, R, that arepivoted to vertical pivoted bars P, and engage a ratchet-Wheel, T,mounted on the front axle. The front transporting-wheels Vare likewisefast on the said axle, and hence, as these pawls are successivelyoperated, (the eccentrics being so located that no two levers movetogether,) a continuous rotation is imparted to the Wheels, and a steadyforward movement to the machine.

The free ends of the bars or levers P are held in contact with theeccentrics by means of springs W.

When it is desired to run the machine from one point to another withoutoperating the ditching apparatus proper, the elevator-frame K is raisedby the Windlass e, the pawls raised off the ratchet-Wheel T, and theconnection made between the front axle and the shaft 0 by means of abelt, Z.

. The machine is guided by a turn shaft, X, and cord Y, attached to thepivoted rear axle.

What I claim is- 1. In a ditching-machine, the combination,

with the elevator and the ratchet-wheel attached to the links of theelevator-chains, mounted on the front axle, of the three pivoted pawlsR, vibrating bars P, the eccentrics Q, and shaft E, all arranged asshown and described, to operate as specified.

2. In a ditching-machine, the cutters, having their ends bent inward andinserted in and as shown and described.

DANIEL HESS. Witnesses:

E. MGGRATH, G. M. HELM.

